David Akin, Parliamentary Bureau Chief

The governing Conservatives remain Canada's most-preferred federal party, though their popularity has dropped to a two-year low, according to a new poll done exclusively for Sun News Network.

The poll by Abacus Data also finds that both the federal NDP and the federal Liberals are finishing the year with slightly more support than the beginning of the year.

Abacus CEO David Coletto said the combination of a soon-to-be-chosen new federal Liberal leader with what Coletto called "underwhelming impressions" Canadians have of NDP leader Thomas Mulcair and continued negative ratings for Prime Minister Stephen Harper point to a new year of political uncertainty.